The title of this book does not lie. These essays get personal. Too personal? Maybe oversharing at times, but always vulnerable, occasionally gossipy, and overall a blast to read.

Reading This Might Be Too Personal was like sitting down for coffee - or maybe a boozy brunch - with your cool older friend and listening to her share her wisdom, but also all the wild stories of her youth. Shelasky takes us from the chaotic moments following the breaking of her first engagement all the way up to the present chaos of the pandemic, sharing tales of everything from broken hearts to girls' trips to sexual assault to single motherhood on the way. I laughed, I almost cried a couple of times, and I found myself gobbling up each essay like a little piece of chocolate.

In some ways, though, this feels like two books. I think some of this comes from the simple fact that it covers a massive chunk of time. No one is the same at 25 as they are at 42, so of course the stories would change as Shelasky aged, settled down, and became a parent. But I found myself wishing that the book had ended after her daughter Hazel's birth, a triumphant moment that felt like the culmination of the journey Shelasky was on during the first half of the book. For obvious reasons, the stories are far less wild and chaotic after that point (although there's still plenty of chaos), making it feel like a second, more sedate installment of the memoir rather than a continuation of the same story. The essays also felt somewhat more disjointed after that point. It was as if we'd reached a natural conclusion to the story and yet continued pushing past it, to the detriment of the flow of it all.

Look, it's hard to make critiques about how a person chooses to share their life story. Do I wish Shelasky had saved the stories of motherhood and middle-aged romance (Is this a spoiler? Can memoirs have spoilers?) for a second book that was more focused on that topic? Sure. Did I still enjoy the stories she told of raising Hazel, falling in love with Sam, having River, and figuring out what building a family meant? Of course. The same honesty and humor was present, and I laughed and teared up in equal measure.

Despite those second-act stumbles, this book held my attention all the way through, just like those stories told over that hypothetical boozy brunch would. And honestly, what more do you even need from a book of personal essays beyond feeling like a confidant of someone who's had a way more interesting life than you?

4/5

Yes, yes it would be too personal if she really opened up. This is a memoir comprising essays by a writer who has exposed a lot in her columns and blogs, Here, while she covers the last 20 years, her strongest focus is on her quest for and experience with motherhood. It's funny and breezy but it's also snarky. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC,

This was so funny and interesting. I’ve just recently gotten into memoirs and this was a great one. To start with. It wasn’t overwhelming, it just felt like I was going along with Alyssa on her journey.

Compulsively relatable and beautifully vulnerable.

I was not familiar with Alyssa Shelasky before "This Might Be Too Personal", but this has made me a huge fan. Even though the details of her journey may not be traditional, she was able to capture the feelings and deep need for fulfillment and understanding that transcends socioeconomic status, age, gender, and geography.

Going into this book I had never heard of the author, Alyssa Shelasky. As a fan of pop culture and someone who still to this day binges Sex and The City, I was pleasantly surprised by this memoir. It starts out with Alyssa beginning a new job as a reporter for US Weekly, includes her time writing sex diaries, and morphs into her role in motherhood. These essays are completely different from my real life and I think that's why I liked them so much. Seeing the world through a different set of eyes and finding small tidbits of relatability (Who didn't have a crush on Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites?!!) A fun read with heart. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4 stars.

This was...not my fave. I think that this book does not really live up to the description, which describes it as "hilarious and intimate" and " the ultimate meditation on living an authentic life with big feelings, hard decisions, and the small victories and painful mistakes of motherhood, womanhood, and profound independence." To be honest, I was expecting a humorous essay collection about the author's time as a sex/relationship journalist. Instead, I felt like many of the essays felt a bit flat and bland. I kept finding myself wondering "why am I supposed to care about this?"

I'll be honest: I was not familiar with Alyssa's writing prior to this book, nor have I ever read Sex Diaries (her column) which sounds a lot more my taste than this book turned out to be. I felt like the majority of this book focused on Alyssa's journey toward having a baby via sperm donation/choosing to be a single mom--which in itself has the potential to make for a cool and interesting story, but 1- I didn't feel llike that was what was marketed to me with this book, and 2- I did not find Alyssa's telling of this story all that compelling.

I guess I also feel like this never really felt very "intimate" to me, if that makes sense? Obviously it's every author's right to divulge details or not, but if you're going to write a memoir, I kinda feel like...getting into intimate detail is the point, no? It felt kind of like Alyssa was convinced to write this book by her agent or something and the execution was fairly meh.

Were there funny and interesting moments in this book? Sure, absolutely. But overall I wouldn't think of this as a "hilarious" essay collection, nor did I really feel like it talked all that much about her journalistic career (which is what I was more interested in when I picked this up).

I always feel bad when I give "negative" reviews to personl memoirs but...I really just didn't vibe with this one.

this might be too personal by alyssa shelasky (aka the real-life carrie bradshaw) is, in fact, a very personal and intimate memoir. you get to follow alyssa through her *sometimes* glamorous career, love affairs, and her challenging journey to motherhood. it’s a witty and heartfelt story that shows an unconventional path that can lead to happiness, even if it requires calling off your wedding and having a child by yourself… a girlboss move that i fully support by the way... overall very entertaining and enjoyable!

*thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC! this might be too personal will be published on may 17th, 2022!*

This Might Be Too Personal by Alyssa Shelasky is an ultra funny and honest memoir of Alyssa from her wild and raucous 20s to her more settled and mothering 40s. Along the way, Alyssa does things her way and goes against the grain of how women are suppose to be. How they are suppose to settle down, how they should work, how they should have a baby, and how they should find a partner. Alyssa takes all these norms and blows them up with TNT. I love Alyssa’s approach to life and reading each one of her stories was such a breath of fresh air! Because of the intimacy of her stories and her honest and witty dialogue it felt like we had been friends for years and were sitting together having many cocktails on a Saturday night. I almost felt bad that she had shared all of her intimate secrets and I had given nothing to the friendship. 🤪 If you are looking for a memoir that is the whole package filled with raunchy hilarious stories, relationship struggles, being an independent woman, and finding your way this one is for you!

Reading Alyssa Shelasky is like having a series of conversations over cocktails with a close friend. Things get deep, but there's always a layer of humor and lightness present. I enjoyed the range of topics covered in this collection, but the pieces about her unconventional road to motherhood really stood out to me.

This was an incredibly raw and real and relatable memoir that I thoroughly enjoyed! I will say it took a few chapters for me to warm up to the author/narattor but I really enjoyed seeing Alyssa's growth and life path. The chapters that really stood out for me/were most memorable were the Switzerland chapter, the chapter about her experience with SA and the chapter titled They Love You, but focused on professional rejection/not feeling successful enough.

Writer Alyssa Shelasky shares all the details as she struggles to find a way to fulfil her dream of motherhood with her seemingly contradictory dream of living a fully independent and unconventional, too-cool-for-school life. Back in the early 1990s, Alyssa was a camper of mine so I was naturally interested in reading this book of essays and seeing how life turned out for the teenager I once knew. I'll admit that at some points in the book, Alyssa can come off a bit unrelatable , almost unlikeable and judgey as she seems to look down on anyone not nearly as cool as she is.... I was a bit turned off and I wondered if TMBTP would be of interest to anyone who didn't already know Shelasky personally or from her magazine writing. But by the end of the book she had redeemed herself and I was touched by her admitting to her professional and personal doubts and insecurities and by the growth she experiences as she strives to make motherhood happen on her own terms. In the end, this is a quick read, mostly entertaining, no-holds-barred memoir about a writer who is celebrity-tangent and looking to find herself as a women and a mom.

Beautiful memoir on relationships, life, and maturing with independence. loved this!! Shelasky's journey through love and New York City, and rejection and commitment issues specifically spoke to me. Shelasky as a narrator is relatable and her voice shines through in all pages.

thanks so much NetGalley and st martin’s press for the ARC!

This was a really fun read. I loved the author’s stories about various celebrities. As an entertainment writer, she makes all of her stories exciting and fun for the reader. TW – drug use, sexual assault, fertility issues.

This was such a raw book but was also so funny! Also, Alyssa drags Jake Gyllenhaal so she started off strong and really hooked me in. The author, Alyssa, is a entertainment writer, so she has a ton of stories about celebrities which I personally loved. At a ton of points throughout this book I laughed out loud! Overall this was a really funny, solid book but there are just some TW to keep in mind for readers!

Any author who drags Jake Gyllenhaal is my type of author! Alyssa was so raw, authentic, and relatable. At so many points during this book, I actually laughed out loud.

As a dating, celebrity, and entertainment writer, Alyssa has some great celeb stories in here and her charisma and wit make this such an enjoyable read. One of my favorite lines in the book was when she talks about what it's like having a friend who has better material than you - which is hard to believe with some of Alyssa's stories!

The book does talk a bit about fertility and uterine problems, etc., so sharing that TW for those this may impact. Alyssa does eventually have a baby on her own (without a life partner) and talks about single motherhood. And then she meets her current partner and has another kid. Another TW is sexual assault, drug overdose and more.

Overall really funny, solid book but there are just some TW to keep in mind for readers!

This collection of essays and stories take a deeper dive into Alyssa Shelasky's life. The chronological collection of essays cover life as a writer, lover, and ultimately becoming a mother. Shelasky's raw, unfiltered writing makes you feel like you are catching up with friends over drinks. Overall, really enjoyed this book and can't wait to check out some of other work!
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This Might Be Too Personal is exactly that - a close look into Alyssa's intimate life. The collection of essays are hilarious as she navigates her career, love, motherhood, and much more. From her early relationships, being engaged three times (absolutely loved that Spike was one of them - instantly knew who you were talking about! Gotta love those competition cooking shows!), an abortion, interviewing celebrities, taking the steps to become a single mother, Alyssa's done it all. Each essay could be a standalone, but all together they make up a wonderful memoir.

I finished this book in a matter of 2 days. It was an easy read that pulled at the heart strings. I cannot relate to her wanting and being a mother, but I did feel for her and laughed with her. Towards the end, I got really excited seeing Maine being spoken about. As a Mainer (although, no idea where the heck the town is - Southern Mainer at it's finest), it's always exciting to hear Mine being mentioned. I immediately looked up where the town was as well as Alyssa's Instagram.

I would recommend this to whomever needs a quick and funny read.

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

I was looking for a lighter memoir, and at first I thought I had found it in Shelasky's book. However, the further I continued to read, the more I disliked the author. As she tells readers about her climb up the journalism social ladder as a dating columnist, I was intruiged by her honesty and loving how the title of the book fit her content so well- the writing was indeed so personal. But as she continued in her tales, Shelasky starts to get cocky in her social climb, and isolates those who aren't exactly financially able to follow love to Rome and live in New York and just buy a round of artificial insemination. In what I believe was an attempt to be relatable, she became unrelatable the further the reader gets. Additionally, she went around in circles about her love life and it was almost difficult to keep reading her reflections on how it all fell apart and how unsuccessful in love she was, but she was also cause for a lot of her problems- like she struggled to accept that responsibility.
In conclusion, I was unimpressed by the author, and disappointed by this memoir. Are there fun and interesting moments? Yes, but they weren't enough to eclipse the issues I struggled with.

This story feels like brunch with your best friends in a book. I really enjoyed it and think lovers of Sex and the City will too.

4 stars

Humorous & fun—like having a convo with your best friends! This collection of intimate essays follows Alyssa's life as she navigates through her career, love, heartbreak, and shortcomings. Shelasky's life has been compared to the fictional life of Carrie Bradshaw—wild and vivacious. Living in New York City to LA to Roma and DC... Alyssa's life is not short of adventures or stories. Throughout all of the accomplishments she made along the way, she was able to complete the one she wanted the most.

This was a very easy and fast read. I found each essay very relatable and moving in soo many ways. Everything touched me ultimately having many heartbreaking moments as well as heart patching.